CHAPTER 427: 50TH GOAL OF THE SEASON!

"City coming forward again—Pirlo... he’s got space in midfield... lays it short to Zidane. Zidane turns, head up... oh, he’s going to try it from distance—ZIDANE STRIKES!!!"

The ball rocketed through the air, dipping violently toward the top corner.

"Cañizares! Flying save! What a stop from the Madrid substitute goalkeeper! That was bending wickedly, and for a moment it looked destined to smash into the net. Cañizares at full stretch—fingertips just enough to tip it over the bar!"

The camera cut to Zidane, who shook his head in disappointment before jogging calmly back into position.

The deflected ball rolled out to Sanchís, who hastily cleared it forward.

It reached the sideline, where Seedorf picked it up, turned, and—finding no good passing option—decided to drive forward himself. Facing Makelele, he immediately showcased his tenacity and agility.

Makelele wasn’t the type to dive recklessly into tackles; he knew that would only let his opponent glide past. Instead, he held his ground, forcing Seedorf wide. Sure enough, the Dutchman chose to push toward the byline—but Zanetti tracked him stride for stride. They knew Seedorf’s game wasn’t built on raw speed, but on brilliant dribbling, sublime footwork, and close ball control. As long as they stayed disciplined in their positioning, he wouldn’t be easily beaten.

By slowing the tempo, Seedorf gave his teammates time to regroup defensively and close down the space. This only boosted Zanetti’s confidence.

At the baseline, Seedorf attempted a clever feint, briefly tricking Zanetti. But the Argentine recovered quickly, reading the ruse just as Seedorf pulled the ball back and whipped in a cross.

Inside the box, Šuker rose, but Cannavaro climbed higher to clear. Thuram, positioned nearby, nodded the loose ball to the left.

Capdevila collected it and sent a diagonal pass inside, where Okocha was waiting.

Manchester City’s lightning-fast counterattack surged toward Real Madrid’s goal once again.

Real Madrid’s attack was faltering, and their midfield was on the back foot. Seedorf, usually the metronome in both attack and defense, saw his influence fade as Zanetti and Makelele pressed him relentlessly, turning him into a liability for his teammates. With him pinned down, Šuker and Raúl were left isolated up front.

Before the match, every British outlet had advised Manchester City to focus on limiting Real Madrid’s attackers, especially Raúl. After all, he had become the youngest player—just 17 years and 124 days—to debut for the senior side. In his very first season, he scored 16 goals in just nine games (including five in a single match against CD Corralejo) and was swiftly promoted to the first team by coach Jorge Valdano, replacing Emilio Butragueño in a symbolic "passing of the crown."

Well, while not entirely true, it wasn’t far off either. The difference was that City’s defensive strategy wasn’t built solely around stopping him—it was designed to neutralize his supporting cast of Šuker and Mijatović. And now, with the latter having been sent off, the balance of Madrid’s attack had shifted completely.

Raúl was world-class, a legend of the game, but not omnipotent. He needed teammates to create space, provide service, and unlock defenses. Whether at club or international level, the pattern was always the same: with the ball, he was lethal; without it, he could be contained.

Jupp Heynckes’ mix of pragmatism and reliance on individual brilliance was evident here. One side used the ball to attack, the other to defend by denying it. Unlike later Galáctico teams with Zidane or Figo orchestrating play, this Madrid relied heavily on moments of genius from players like Raúl, Mijatović, and Šuker.

Twenty minutes into the second half, Los Blancos’ play had grown predictable. With their midfield cut off, they relied almost entirely on individual wing dribbles—but City’s defense held firm.

Gradually, their defenders pushed higher in search of passing options.

When Mourinho saw their back line creeping up, his eyes gleamed.

It wasn’t until the 69th minute of the first half that Ronaldo finally got a very reluctant shot opportunity. Okocha cut to the center, received Pirlo’s cross, and immediately passed it to Ronaldo.

With his back to the goal, Ronaldo skillfully dragged the ball sideways to evade Hierro’s close marking. Just as he was about to turn, Sanchís appeared in front of him, forcing Ronaldo to continue dribbling to the right. This shift narrowed his shooting angle significantly.

Míchel Salgado retreated to position himself behind, reinforcing the double defensive line. Ronaldo pressed on toward the baseline and suddenly took a shot from mid-path.

Due to the tight angle, Cañizares confidently closed off the near post, blocking Ronaldo’s low shot with his foot.

City fans were on edge, sweating nervously over the defensive play, but Richard nodded approvingly.

Ronaldo was a significant threat on the ball, and defenders had to resist the urge to rush in; otherwise, they would simply give him an opportunity to dribble past them cleanly. The only way to contain this extraordinary talent was through well-timed fouls.

After being sidestepped, Hierro didn’t chase Ronaldo. Instead, he anticipated that Sanchís would likely appear in front of him, so he opted to fall back and maintain his defensive shape, ensuring Ronaldo had no space after breaking through.

Thanks to this discipline, Ronaldo was forced to use his speed to move to the outside, reducing his shooting threat significantly. Madrid’s defensive line had clearly put in a tremendous effort to neutralize him.

This season, Ronaldo hadn’t showcased much of his dribbling flair, especially his signature pendulum move, which differed from the previous season. Instead, he relied more on explosiveness, speed, and agile changes of direction to overpower his opponents. When Ronaldo got the ball now, he moved like an F1 racecar, making it nearly impossible for defenders to intercept him directly. However, while they couldn’t stop him outright, they could guide him off-target.

Hierro and Sanchís were patient and chose not to rush recklessly. Instead, they used their positioning and coverage to force Ronaldo away from the main shooting area. While not always perfect—like when Ronaldo suddenly stops to shoot—their goal was to give the goalkeeper time to prepare. This is exactly what disciplined defenders do.

Madrid’s attack struggled immensely, reminiscent of their 10-man matches.

As the defense moved further forward, their attack began to receive more support. Four minutes later, Ronaldo proved the danger when he got the ball again. In the previous twenty minutes, he had only touched it three times and had not taken a shot—but now, as the defenders advanced, he completed two shots in five minutes. However, the second shot went wide, again from a difficult angle.

Two minutes later, Ronaldo pushed for a breakthrough down the middle, but Hierro was ready. He allowed the ball to roll past while positioning his body to stop Ronaldo’s advance. At the same moment, Roberto Carlos charged in from behind and cut off the ball, rendering Ronaldo’s attempt fruitless.

After winning possession, Roberto Carlos took a lateral step and slanted a pass to the wing.

Raúl stretched his leg to intercept but came up half a meter short. Just behind him, Capdevila sprinted in, received the ball, and took a step forward before passing it back toward the center.

Makélélé retreated under Seedorf’s pressure and, as the ball rolled toward him, made a back pass. Pirlo, moving up, struck a straight ball.

The pass was so precise that it sliced right through Real Madrid’s entire defense, rolling perfectly between Redondo and Karembeu. Just two meters ahead, Salgado was almost in reach of the ball, while Redondo and Karembeu were about three meters off, unable to intercept.

And there, on the ball’s trajectory, Ronaldo finally sliced through Madrid’s heart like a dagger.

Previously, Madrid had pushed their defense up, but they hadn’t yet retracted it. As Ronaldo received the ball, he confidently led it forward—one-on-one with the goalkeeper!

Finally, after repeated touches and dribbles, the fans in the stands focused intently on Ronaldo’s figure.

Richard’s eyes were glued to the pitch, watching as the alien stormed into the box alone. His heart pounded, and his mouth went dry. The tie around his neck felt like a noose, suffocating him.

Meanwhile, Jupp Heynckes stood up. He didn’t have time to lament City’s counterattack speed. Silently, he wished Cañizares could make a world-class save and not disappoint everyone’s expectations.

This time, Cañizares chose to rush out, fully aware he was facing one of Europe’s in-form strikers. Though he lacked Larsson’s shock-and-awe power, Ronaldo was the king of efficiency—a goal machine without doubt.

Larsson moved quickly, seeing this attack pull Roberto Carlos, while Ronaldo remained unhesitant. When it came to shooting, he was calm to an unbelievable degree.

He assessed Cañizares’ position, noticing the keeper rushing toward him, and decisively took his shot.

With twenty-five yards to goal, Ronaldo swung his leg to strike. The ball shot off his foot, spinning fiercely as it soared into the sky.

It was a curling shot, slightly worrying in its height, but Ronaldo was supremely confident. Cañizares was powerless to stop it. The ball sailed over his head toward the upper left—jumping wouldn’t have mattered; he could never reach it.

Watching the trajectory of the shot, everyone’s gaze hardened, and fists tightened in anticipation.

The ball soared through the air, arcing like a rainbow before slamming into the top corner of the goal.

"What a fantastic strike! A dazzling rainbow stretches across the Amsterdam sky—from Ronaldo’s right foot to Los Blancos’ net! Manchester City have officially completed a comeback, with Ronaldo scoring twice! Unbelievable—this was his 12th goal in the Champions League this season! With this form, there’s no doubt Ronaldo is the top scorer!"

Real Madrid 1 – 2 Manchester City

Richard closed his eyes, roaring in joy, fists shaking in front of him.

Manchester City’s coaching staff sprinted onto the pitch, embracing each other in celebration of the goal.

After scoring, Ronaldo’s expression transformed from deeply furrowed concentration to reckless laughter. He ran toward the sidelines with arms wide open, like a whirlwind. Nearby, Manchester City fans surged in waves.

Welcome to the biggest stage in football—hail the alien: Ronaldo!

As teammates surrounded him in celebration, the fans initially clenched their fists, cheering his name. Soon after, City players like Okocha began bowing playfully to him.

This was his 50th goal of the season across all competitions!

Larsson even knelt on one knee, performing a playful "shoe-cleaning" gesture for Ronaldo before embracing him. After the celebrations, Ronaldo noticed a camera trained on him. He stood up immediately, striking a brief close-up pose for a few seconds before lifting his shirt to reveal a message underneath.

The words on his shirt were captured clearly by the cameras:

"Happy birthday Patrícia!"

Ronaldo’s eyes scanned the crowd for a moment, as if imagining his sister seeing the message live. Teammates crowded around him, some patting his back, others pointing at the shirt, sharing in the joy of the moment. Ronaldo then lowered his shirt and jogged back to the halfway line, his face lighting up with a grin.

After they conceded, Muñiz turned to Heynckes and said, "That was just like the goal we conceded against Barcelona earlier."

Rapid transitions had broken through the midfield—succinct, fluid play leading to a decisive pass, with the forward scoring swiftly and unexpectedly.

Heynckes could only shake his head in resignation. "It truly is just like that."

Muñiz offered more suggestions and viewpoints. "The forwards up front should retreat. Neither Šuker nor Raúl can receive the ball near the box—let them drop back to midfield. If they still can’t get it, drop back a bit further. All forward players should do likewise."

Heynckes didn’t respond, still shaking his head.

"City’s stronger aspect lies in their defense and midfield—look at that Argentine player there, Zanetti, and their defensive midfielder, Makelele. See their contributions defensively. When the ball is in our half, they tightly mark Raúl. If the ball shifts forward, they can drop back to defend near the box, while our attacking midfielder, Raúl—where is he in defense?"

Muñiz was merely pointing to the tip of the iceberg regarding Real Madrid’s defensive shortcomings. He dared not mention or compare them directly. In contrast, in Madrid’s 4-4-2 setup, only Seeforf displayed an assertive attacking attitude as midfielder; the rest were lacking. A simple attacking rating comparison with City would reveal a stark disparity.

This couldn’t be changed overnight. La Liga teams emphasized midfield control, and if they lost that grip, they risked collapse. Although top teams rarely fell apart completely, they had become accustomed to dominating more than 70% of the game, which naturally led to some defensive laxity.